Travel tips, cultural insights, best gear, and inspiring stories from across the Americas — for travelers who want to go deeper and tread more thoughtfully while also getting the most from their travel budget. Created by Angie and Scott Drake, cofounders of Not Your Average American.
Road Tripping, Rucking, and Travel Insurance for South America
THE RAMBLERResponsible Travel. Creating Community. Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. Your clicks and purchases help us keep sharing stories and tips. Thank you for supporting our work! Hi Reader!
As the New Year fast approaches, I find myself pondering over what worked well last year. And what didn't.
My most successful project was a trip we planned for someone else, an 80-year-old client with a simple request: to see as many Ecuadorian hummingbirds as possible in 8 days. It was a joy to design the route, to carefully choose our Ecuadorian partner, and to watch the trip unfold exactly as hoped.
This is the kind of work that reminds me why we created Not Your Average American in the first place. We want to connect you with South American travel experiences that you will love and enjoy.
And however much I love that work, I unfortunately don't get enough of it to keep our business moving forward on itinerary sales alone. I have been searching for new ways to monetize, like experimenting with Google Ads and increasing our brand partnerships.
Not all of these companies make the cut. My email inbox is full of businesses that want to sell, sell, sell but are uninterested in creating a true partnership with our brand. Their tactics include greenwashing, FOMO, and more. We are not convinced that is the best way to treat our community of fellow travelers.
I want to hear from you - how much is too much? In this newsletter, I am going to drop some links to help you plan better, more responsible trips, without stressing you out. We want to encourage JOMO - the joy of missing out - instead of traveling by someone else's YOLO bucket list.
New Tool - WilderTrips Road Trip PlannerA few years ago, we took an incredible road trip through Southern Ecuador. While we wrote about the route, we never created a map to go along with our words... until now! We used WilderTrips, an incredible road trip app available for anyone to use for free. Or get the paid version using our 50% discount code NYAA and create unlimited trips with up to 200 stops each. Here's a screenshot of our map in the article On The Road In Southern Ecuador: Do You Ruck?My women's 12-pound rucking weighted vest showed up in time for my New Years Resolution - to walk 1-3 miles daily, rain or shine. Rucking, the practice of adding weight when walking or hiking, is a simple way to increase my stamina and improve my health, making my trips overseas easier on my body. Interested? Use our VEST20 discount code at GoRuck, a military veteran-owned brand: Women's Rucking Weighted Vests Men's Rucking Weighted Vests Travel Deals We Spotted This WeekWashington DC → Quito for $378 – 42% off (normally $680+) Visit our favorite gateway city into Ecuador - incredible history, delicious food, and stunning hospitality. Oh... and its so close to so many great outdoors activites from hiking to birdwatching! Baltimore → Guayaquil for $376 – 44% off (normally $650+) An unexpected deal from many East Coast cities to Ecuador's largest city. Our recommendations is to head out of the city and into beautiful Southern Ecuador. Chicago → Lima for $490 – 42% off (normally $845) Escape the cold, snowy midwest to check out Lima in the summertime - or use it as a great jumping off point for touring all of Peru. Los Angeles → Bogota for $393 – 43% off (normally $700+) Escape the cold to check out the best Gold Museum in South America, stroll the local markets, and immerse in the colonial center of Historic Bogota. San Francisco→ Medellín for $393 – 39% off (normally $650+) We have yet to go to Medellín but have heard wonderful things from local friends. If you decide to go, tell us what you think! Portland → Liberia, Costa Rica for $345 – 54% off (normally $750+) Our most often asked question is if we like Costa Rica better than Ecuador. We don't know beacuse we've never been. At these prices, it may be time to book. We see these deals through Going. Simply add an alert for your favorite airport(s) and receive time sensitive deals and mistakenly priced flights in your inbox. We use the standard membership but other travelers we know prefer the Premium which includes great deals on business class flights around the world. Before heading out on your next trip...Scott shares the ins and outs of travel insurance for South America and recommends three partner brands that might make a good fit for your next trip. Or not... depending on your personal risk assessment. Do You Really Need Travel Insurance for Your Next Trip to South America?Let’s Connect:We're going to be visiting these great places in 2026 - if you would like to meet us for coffee, a hike, or a friendly beer, get in touch for specific details:
Also, we're considering live meetups in Portland, Oregon. Are you interested? Simply reply to this email. We’d love to meet fellow curious travelers like you. Thanks for Rambling With Us,Angie & Scott P.S. If you’ve read this far, you’re amazing! Want to support our work at no extra cost to you? If you plan to shop on Amazon, click ⇒ this link ⇐ first. We earn a small commission, and it helps us keep writing, reviewing, and traveling. Thank you! ❤️ |
Angie & Scott of Not Your Average American
Travel tips, cultural insights, best gear, and inspiring stories from across the Americas — for travelers who want to go deeper and tread more thoughtfully while also getting the most from their travel budget. Created by Angie and Scott Drake, cofounders of Not Your Average American.
THE RAMBLER For travelers who value people, place, and purpose. If you make a purchase using our affiliate links, we will get a small commission at NO extra cost to you. This helps us keep our travel blog and newsletter running and free to all users — thank you SO much for the support. Hi Reader! Chontacuro. Chontacuro, an Amazonian delicacy If you’ve followed our work, you’ve likely encountered this Amazonian delicacy — the palm weevil larva that has nourished Indigenous communities for...
THE RAMBLER Responsible Travel. Creating Community. Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. Your clicks and purchases help us keep sharing stories and tips. Thank you for supporting our work! Hi Reader! I’ll be honest — I’ve been feeling a little guilty lately. As the current administration continues to escalate tensions in communities across the country, I catch myself wondering: how do I dare plan a vacation? How do I talk about birding trips and rafting plans when people are...
THE RAMBLER For travelers who value people, place, and purpose. If you make a purchase using our affiliate links, we will get a small commission at NO extra cost to you. This helps us keep our travel blog and newsletter running and free to all users — thank you SO much for the support. Hi Reader! It’s a new year—and we’re trying something new. Our goal? Shorter newsletters, twice a month. Just enough to keep the connection alive, share stories that matter, and spark inspiration for wherever...